face and figure. She couldkeep it until she died, which wouldn't be long. Nobody could stop theperistaltic motion of the digestive system, voluntarily or otherwise, orof the lungs in trying to breathe.
Burlingame wouldn't know. Policemen were cooperative, and it would belisted as an accident.
Jadiver closed his eyes. Emily was dying and no one could help her. Orhimself, either, when they came to pick him up. They had to know exactlywhere he was. He waited, expecting a tap on the shoulder or the snap ofthe tangle gun.
The lights dimmed and the same harsh voice spoke. "The danger is over,thanks to the efficient work of the Venicity police force. You are nowsafe."
Nothing like advertising yourself, thought Jadiver.
No one came near him. Apparently the police didn't want him yet--theyexpected him to do more for them.
He went down the stairs and mingled with the excited guests. It had beena good show, unexpected entertainment, especially since it hadn'tinvolved any real danger for them. He circulated through the chatteringmen and women until he came near the planted area. At an opportunemoment, he slipped in.
It was a miniature jungle; he was safe from ordinary detection as longas he stayed there. He went quietly through the vines and shrubs towardthe other side. The broad back of a policemen loomed up in front of him.
Jadiver was an industrial engineer, a specialist in the design of robotbodies and faces, robots that had to look like humans. He knew anatomy,not in the way a doctor did, but it was nonetheless the knowledge of anexpert. He reached out and the policeman toppled.
He dragged the unconscious man deeper into the little jungle andlistened. No one had noticed. Physically a large man, the policemanmight be the one who had shot Emily--and then again he might not be. Hedid have a tangle gun, which was the important thing. Jadiver took itand rifled the man's pockets for ammunition.
He knelt for a final check on the body. The chest rose and fell withslow regularity. For insurance, Jadiver again pressed the nerve. Thisman wouldn't trouble anyone for a few hours.
Jadiver looked out. When he was sure he wasn't observed, he walked outand joined the guests. He moved politely from one group to another andin several minutes stood beside the door. He left the way he came.
It was that simple. He had to assume that until events proved he wasmistaken.
* * * * *
Outside, he walked briskly. It was not late and the city overflowed withmen and women walking, flying, skimming. Roughly dressed men down fromthe north polar farms, explorers from the temperate jungles, governmentgirls--the jumbled swarm that comes to a planet in the intermediatestages of exploitation. It was a background through which he could passunnoticed.
The circuit, though--always the circuit. He couldn't escape that bywalking away from it. But at least he'd proved that telepathy wasn'tpossible by means of it, or he wouldn't still be free.
Other than that, he didn't know how it operated. If it was purelyelectronic in nature, then it had a range. He might be able to getbeyond that range, if he knew how far it extended.
A lot depended on the power source. He hadn't been able to checkclosely, hadn't really known what he was looking at when he'd seen it inthe autobath. He remembered that the circuit seemed to be laid over hisown nervous system. Considering the power available, the range was aptto be quite limited.
That was pure supposition and might be wrong. There was nothing topreclude an external power source, say a closed field blanketing thecity or even the entire planet. If so, it represented a technicalachievement beyond anything he was familiar with. That didn't disproveit, of course. The circuit itself indicated a startling advance and heknew _it_ existed.
There was still another possibility. The circuit might not be entirelyelectronic. It might operate with the same forces that existed inside asingle nerve cell. If so, all bets were off; there was no way he coulddetermine the range. It might be anything at all, micro-inches orlight-years.
With unlimited equipment and all the time in the worlds, he could answersome of those questions floating around in his mind. He had neither, butthere were solutions he could make use of. Limited solutions, but it wasbetter than waiting to be caught.
Jadiver headed toward one such solution.
The robot clerk looked up, smiling and patient, as he entered. It couldafford to be patient. There was no place it wanted to be other thanwhere it was at the moment. "Can I help you?"
"Passage to Earth," said Jadiver.
The clerk consulted the schedule. That was pretense. The schedule andnot much else had been built into its brain. "There's an orbit flight intwo weeks."
In two weeks, Jadiver could be taken, tried, and converted ten timesover. "Isn't there anything sooner?"
"There's an all-powered flight leaving tomorrow, but that's for Earthcitizens only."
"Suits me. Book me for it."
"Be glad to," said the robot. "Passport, please."
* * * * *
It was going to cost more than just the fare, Jadiver knew. He wouldarrive on Earth with very little money and could expect to start allover. He was no longer fresh out of training, willing to start at thebottom. He was a mature man, experienced beyond the ordinary, and mostorganizations he could work for would be suspicious of that.
But it was worth it, aside from the escape. No future for him there,jammed in on a crowded world, but it was his planet, always would be,and he wouldn't mind going back.
"Sorry," said the clerk, flipping over the passport and studying it. "Ican't book you. The flight's only for Earth citizens."
"I was born there," Jadiver impatiently said. "Can't you see?"
"You were?" asked the robot eagerly. "I was built there." It handed himback the passport. "However, it doesn't matter where you were born.You've been here three years without going back. Automatically, youbecame a citizen of Venus two and a half years ago."
Jadiver hadn't known that. He doubted that many did. It was logicalenough. Earth was overflowing and the hidden citizenship clause was agood way of getting rid of the more restless part of the population andmaking sure they didn't come back.
"There's still the orbit flight," said the clerk, smiling and serene."For that you need a visitor's visa, which takes time. Shall I make thearrangements?"
Aside from the time element, which was vital, he couldn't tip the policeoff that he intended to leave.
"Thanks," he said, taking the passport. "I'll call back when I make upmy mind."
Down the street was another interplanetary flight office and he wanderedinto it. It might have been the same office he had just left, robot andall.
"Information on Mars," he said, his manner casual.
The clerk didn't bother to consult the schedule. There was a difference,after all. "There'll be an orbit flight in four months," it saidpleasantly. "Rate, four-fifths of the standard fare to Earth."
Nothing was working out as expected. "What about the moons of Jupiter?"This was the last chance.
"Due to the position of the planets, for the next few months there areno direct flights anywhere beyond Mars. You have to go there andtransfer."
That escape was closed. "I can't make plans so far in advance."
The robot beamed at him. "I can see that you're a gentleman who likes totravel." It grew confidential and leaned over the counter. "I have abargain here, truly the most sensational we've ever offered."
Jadiver drew away from that eagerness. "What is this bargain?"
"Did you notice the fare to Mars? Four-fifths of that to Earth, and yetit's farther away. Did you stop to think why?"
* * * * *
He had noticed and he thought he knew why. It was another side of thecitizenship program. Get them away from Earth, the farther the better,and don't let them come back. If necessary, shuttle them betweencolonies, but don't let them come back.
"I hadn't," he said. "Why?"
The voice throbbed throati
ly and robot eyes grew round. "To inducepeople to travel. Travel is wonderful. I love to travel."
Pathetic thing. Someone had erred in building it, had implanted too muchenthusiasm for the job. It loved to travel and would never get fartherthan a few feet from the counter. Jadiver dismissed that thought.
"What's this wonderful offer?" he asked.
"Just think of it," whispered the robot. "We have another destination,much farther than Jupiter, but only one-tenth the fare to Earth. If youdon't have the full fare in cash, just give us verbal assurance thatyou'll pay when you get the money. No papers to sign. We have confidencein your personal integrity."
"Sounds